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Expect to see these concerns play out on the Senate floor, especially among conservative Republicans who want stauncher border security measures. The amended bill would phase in biometric exit controls at the country’s major airports and mandate an electronic verification system for employers that includes photos. The E-Verify system is considered a “trigger” provision, meaning it would have to be in place before undocumented residents could apply for citizenship.

House lawmakers have the opposite problem. While the Senate committee agreed wholeheartedly on an E-Verify trigger, Democratic negotiators in the House considered its implementation time frame too strong. The issue made the list of final sticking points.

4. The IT component

Count on ramped-up efforts by Indian IT services firms, which get hit hardest by the Senate compromise. The amended bill includes provisions that would undermine, if not uproot, Indian IT firms’ business in the United States. They’ll emphasize vital contributions IT outsourcing companies such as Tata and Infosys make to the American economy.

5. Horse trading

Anything can happen — it’s immigration reform. Both chambers have embraced high-skilled immigration, although tech wants as much as it can get on green cards and H-1Bs. Should the bills go to conference, House Republicans may give on green cards in exchange for more on border security and work site immigration enforcement.